1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to protective coverings for horses' hoofs, including a method of attaching a horseshoe to a horse's hoof.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditionally, horseshoes have been secured to horses' hoofs by means of nails. The nails are passed through holes in the horseshoe and nailed into the hoof wall of the animal. This method secures the horseshoe quite well and is very useful for horses who tread on soft ground. Such horses need be shod only once every four to eight weeks, this due to continuous hoof growth regardless of shoe wear.
As with many other things, specialized horseshoes have been developed for special purposes. Titanium and aluminum, as well as other alloy-based metal horseshoes, have been developed for lightweight use in the field of horse racing. While such shoes are strong, they are intentionally designed to be as small and lightweight as possible. Frequently, such shoes do not have high abrasion resistance. This, combined with daily workout of horses on abrasive track surfaces, tend to wear out shoes very quickly. Thus, thoroughbreds and other racehorses tend to require frequent shoeing.
For this type of use, the attachment of horseshoes to horses' hoofs with nails can become a problem. Frequent removal and reattachment of shoes makes numerous nail holes in the horse's hoofs. This is a problem for two reasons. First, with numerous nail holes already in the hoofs, it can be difficult to find intact hoof wall into which to nail a new shoe. Second, the abundance of nail holes weakens the hoof wall which can lead to failure of the wall and damage to the horse's hoof and foot.
Noninvasive methods of attachment of hoof coverings have previously been attempted, most often without success. Generally, such methods involve a shoe covering mainly of polymeric material which is glued to a horse's hoof. Often, the glue lacks the strength and resilience necessary to withstand forces transferred through it by a horse. Because of the way in which horses gallop, the entire weight of a horse can at certain times be supported by only a single hoof. Most adhesives do not have the strength, flexibility, and toughness to withstand such forces without breaking.
Furthermore, some hoof coverings, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,150, require special fitting of the shoe to the horse's hoof which can be time-consuming and difficult. Attempting to keep a horse's hoof in the air while a shoe is thermofit to it is difficult since a horse will not generally allow a hoof to be kept off the ground for an extended period of time.
Therefore, it is desired to create a hoof covering which can be quickly and easily attached to a horse's hoof, can withstand the forces generated by a horse at full gallop, and is lightweight enough to be useful for thoroughbred racing.